If there's more drag than thrust, airplane will tend to _____.

• A. Ascend
• B. Sink or descend
• C. Hover
• D. Accelerate

Answer: (B)

The main idea is that steady level flight requires thrust to balance drag and lift to balance weight. When drag is greater than thrust, there’s a net backward force, so the airplane slows down. As speed drops, lift falls because lift depends on airspeed; with less lift than weight, the airplane can’t stay at the same altitude and will descend. Hover isn’t achievable for a fixed-wing airplane, and ascent would require excess thrust to overcome drag and create a climb, which isn’t the situation here. So the aircraft will tend to sink or descend.